One Last question on population (confused about Abyssia)

[onomastikon]

Hello,

in a different thread a wise person said population is good for income: per 200 people, 1 gold. Ok.

Well, I just wanted to try out Abyssia, and I see "they do not farm or hunt for a living, so their income and supplies are not affected by the growth/death scale. However, population will still die in a province with death scales".

So Abyssians eat rocks or garbage, ok.

Population is also good for supplies, ok, didnt know that.

So the small question is: If the population dies, that means Absysian society is just a bunch of army recruits running around in a barren waste? Like Ermor Ashen Vale?

And the Big (serious) Question Is: What is the deal with Abyssia and Income and Supplies? If their population dies, who cares (in terms of game mechanics)? What is the downside to death of population if they lose nothing?
Does that also mean that Unrest is unimportant? (Is their income independent of that too?)
Also, if the entire population dies and the income / supplies are not affected, there cannot BE any unrest since there are no people to be unresty. Right?

What am I missing?
thanks